


Return the Favor

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Best Friends, Canonical Character Death, Cisco Ramon Needs A Hug, Drinking & Talking, Drinking to Cope, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Heartache, Late Night Conversations, Protective Caitlin Snow, Self-Destruction, Self-Hatred, Sleep Deprivation, Sleepovers, Sleeptalking, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, barry makes a brief appearence, could be read as Cisco Ramon/ Caitlin Snow, mostly gen but it could be killervibe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-25 23:04:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16207523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon have both lost someone they loved and cared for. It's hard sometimes to remember that you're not alone when all you want to do is forget.In their times of need, both Cisco and Caitlin step up when their friend needs them and helps them through the tough times.





	Return the Favor

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like the loss of both Dante and Ronnie needed to be addressed more and I know that both Cisco and Caitlin would be there for each other. It's sappy, sue me. We need to see more fics like this.

Ronnie is dead and Cisco stands at her doorway with a brown paper bag clutched tightly in his hand. Knocking on the door, he sat back on his heels and waited to hear the footsteps coming closer, the jangling of the chain being removed from the lock. She opens the door slowly and refuses to meet his eyes. “What?” Caitlin asks, hollow and devoid of all emotion except heartache and pain.

Cisco held up the brown paper bag with a smile that he hoped was comforting. “I brought you your favourite feel-good food. Can I come in?”

Almost reluctantly, Caitlin moves aside without a word and Cisco takes it as his cue to enter the apartment and close the door behind him. The first thing he notices is Caitlin- the bags under her eyes, the grease in her hair that’s currently tied up in a bun, the over-sized t-shirt that Cisco has definitely seen Ronnie wear around the lab before. She had a pair of old, ratty pyjama bottoms on, holes in the knees and the blue checker pattern was faded.

The rest of the apartment wasn’t much better. Half-eaten protein bars lay scattered across the coffee-table, bottles of water sat on the kitchen bench along with multiple mugs of long-stale coffee, wine glasses piled up in the sink and the liquor cabinet that Cisco knew Ronnie only used in times of great celebration was lacking some of the alcohol.

Walking over to sit heavily on the couch that was riddled with empty tissue boxes, Caitlin glared at Cisco. Her nose was still red from blowing at it and her eyes were puffy from crying. “Well?” She asked. “What do you want?”

Shrugging, Cisco placed the paper bag on the kitchen counter and walked over to Caitlin with his hands in his jacket pockets. “I was in the neighbourhood and I was hungry and what better thing to do than visit my friend who lives around here with the food I just brought?”

Caitlin glared at him. “Right. You don’t live anywhere near here, Cisco, and that shop is a long way away too.” She always did know when he was lying. “What are you really here for?”

Sighing, Cisco sat on the couch beside Caitlin. “I’m here to see you. I uh… I know you’re not doing so great but I… I wanted you to know that I’m always going to be here for you.”

“Well, I’m fine. You can go now.” Caitlin said bitterly as he turned away from Cisco to face the black TV. “If I’d wanted company I would have come into work this week. Doctor Wells would have given me work to do to keep my mind off of it.”

Frowning, Cisco sat back and began to clean up the protein bars from the coffee table. “Glad to see you love me too.” He grumbled as Caitlin curled into herself, hugging her knees to her chest. “Look- I hate seeing you like this. I understand how much you love Ronnie and I could see how much he loved you back but he wouldn’t want you treating yourself like _this.”_

“Like _what_?” Caitlin snapped. “I’m mourning my dead fiancée who died in the thing I helped create! It’s partly my fault and nothing I can do could ever bring him back.”

Wincing, Cisco dropped the protein bars into a plastic bag that he’d found lying on the floor. “It was all our faults, Caitlin. I helped build it too- don’t shoulder all the blame. You don’t deserve it.”

Finally, Caitlin broke her cool demeanour and leaned all her weight into Cisco’s side. His arms came up to wrap around her as she sobbed into his shirt. Cisco held her, even when the crying came to a hiccupping stop and she tried feebly to pull away. He knew what she needed even if _she_ didn’t know, and Cisco was planning on giving her that.

Eventually, Caitlin fell onto him in defeat, realising that he wouldn’t let her go. Instead, she snuggled in closer, burrowing her face into his chest and breathed in the scent of engine oil and metal from tools and something sickly-sweet. “You always give the best hugs.” She admitted, voice muffled by the many layers of fabric. The zip on his jacket rubbed uncomfortably against her ear and before she could comment on it, Cisco moved it away himself. “You’re always so warm. You make me feel better no matter what.”

Smiling into her hair, Cisco hugged her tighter. “I’m glad. You’re welcome to a hug whenever you want. I’m like, a vending machine for hugs and happiness.”

Caitlin laughed for what felt like forever and pulled back just enough to look up at Cisco. His hair was a mess and Caitlin reached up to push it out of his face and behind his ears. “You are a lifesaver, Mister Ramon.” She praised and Cisco beamed at her. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Well you, Doctor Snow, are my best friend,” Cisco told her. Caitlin’s eyes brightened slightly. “And I would do absolutely anything you ask of me. Just say the word and I'll do it- any time, any place. ”

Pausing, Caitlin averted her eyes for a moment. “What are you doing tonight? Do you have any plans?”

Already sensing where this was going, Cisco gently ran his fingers through the tangled strands of Caitlin’s hair. “Nothing but work but Doctor Wells has already approved me a few days off.” When Caitlin blinked at him in confusion, he winked. “I’ve been working so hard lately that Doctor Wells thinks I deserve a break. I’ve taken them for this week.”

"You took time off work... for me?" Caitlin gasped in shock. Cisco never took time off work, he loved it too much and couldn't stand to let Doctor Wells down or make him think that he was slacking off from his work. "Why?"

Cisco shrugged. "I thought you would like some company. Besides, I've never taken any time off of work for anything so I feel like this is long overdue. I'd do anything for you, Caitlin, so if taking time off to spend time with you while you grieve fits the bill, then I'm willing to do it."

“Could you…?” Caitlin almost couldn’t force herself to ask the question. “Could you stay here tonight? I don’t think I want to be alone anymore.”

“Of course.” Cisco laughed. “I brought enough take-out for the both of us. Hopefully, we can eat all the Big Belly Burger before we have to bring the leftovers to Doctor Wells. You know how he gets when he doesn't get his fill every week- like Yogi Bear on steroids. I'd rather take my chances with the bear than Doctor Wells. Who knew an old guy in a wheelchair could be so scary?”

Caitlin found herself glad that she had a friend as loving and thoughtful as Cisco Ramon.

Dante is dead and Caitlin stands outside his door with one hand raised to knock on the wood and the other holding her phone, his message blearing into her eyes from the darkened corridor. The light above the door was broken and Caitlin knew that if he was feeling any more like himself it would have been fixed days ago.

_Dante’s dead. Drunk driver hit him, I’m just coming home from the hospital. I’m not coming in to work tomorrow, don’t know when._

Each time she thought of him alone in his apartment after a day like he’s had she feels her heart break all over for him. She musters the courage to knock swiftly on the wood and put her phone into the back pocket of her jeans before the door opens sharply and Cisco comes out with a scowl. “What?” He asks, his voice has no bite but was thick with something sickly.

“Can I come in?” She asks sweetly, hoping that he would move away and let her in. The room behind him was dark and Caitlin could only see his dark silhouette. “Cisco? It’s me. Can you please let me inside?”

Grumbling something bitterly under his breath, Cisco walked away from the door but left it open so Caitlin took it as a sign to enter. The lock was broken but Caitlin closed it behind her anyway.

The room was upturned- furniture was broken and flipped upside down, empty beer bottles scattered across the floor and on the kitchen counter, dirty dishes much older than the week that Dante’s been dead had piled up in the sink and the dish rack, a lamp was missing its head, there was a hole in the plywood wall, the TV was showing nothing but black and white static and a lightbulb had seemingly been thrown against the back wall to shatter into the hallway.

Cisco’s hair was a matted mess that hung lumpy over his shoulders. His shirt was stained as if he’d been wearing the same thing for days and his bare feet were dirty like he’d been walking barefoot outside. He stunk of stale old alcohol, his knuckles were red raw and scabbed over.  His skin was pale and gaunt as if he hadn’t eaten or slept in a very long time. His eyes are sunken and one has been swollen shut, a large purple bruised covering it like a blanket.  

“Cisco,” Caitlin gasped, rushing forward to place her fairly colder hands against her friend’s warm face. “What happened? Why didn’t you tell us you’d gotten into a fight? Are you alright? Who was it?”

Scowling, Cisco shoved her hand away from the tender skin of his face. “I went _looking_ for a fight, Caitlin- I asked for this.” At his friend's shocked gasp Cisco snorted. “People still hate us, Cait. All I had to do was go into a back alley and tell someone that I worked for S.T.A.R Labs when the particle accelerator exploded and _ta-da_.” He raised his hands to his sides and let them fall back ungracefully with a _slap._ “A punch on in the making.”

Turning around, Cisco stumbled over to the kitchen, tripping over his own feet. He leaned heavily on the counter for support as he slowly, clumsily, made his way to the fridge. When he opened it Caitlin saw that the light was broken and that the fridge was empty. “Cisco, stop.” She demanded, dropping her purse on the floor and making his way over to her friend. “This isn’t good. Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“My brother is _dead_ , Caitlin!” Cisco shouted, voice breaking as he took a step away. “We were just starting to get close again. We were starting to be a _family_ again. _Brothers_  again _."_ His voice broke and tears sprung from his eyes. “And now he’s dead.”

Caitlin wrapped him in a tight hug before strategically pulling him towards the bathroom, kicking objects out of the way of his stumbling feet. He was too tired to resist her as she sat him down on the closed toilet seat and turned on the shower faucet to the right temperature and waited for it to fill. “What are you doing?” Cisco muttered, his head leaning against the wall and his empty eyes glazed over with something that sent a chill down Caitlin’s back.

Sitting back on her haunches, Caitlin took her hand out of the water and lathered a cloth up with soap. “When Ronnie died,” She started quietly. “You were the only person who was truly there for me. You came to my house and stayed with me, no matter how much I tried to push you away. I’m doing the same for you.” The bath filled and she turned off the faucet. Standing, she stripped Cisco off from his dirty shirt and day’s old pants and dropped everything into a pile.

Cisco tried to protest but it came out as a jumble of nothingness. Caitlin gently lowered him into the bathtub and washed him down with the cloth until his skin was red raw. Pulling the shower head down, she coated her hands in shampoo and gently ran her fingers through Cisco’s hair until the strands untangled and the black mass was filled with suds.

After a while, Caitlin felt a weight against her chest and realised that Cisco had fallen asleep in her arms, head pillowed against her shoulder. Slowly, she adjusted them both until her legs were in the soapy water of the tub and his head was resting on top of her legs. She rinsed out his hair with gentle touches and whispered words of comfort each time he stirred and moaned his brother’s name in his sleep.

This was probably the first time Cisco had slept in days, Caitlin knew, and the first time he’d washed in longer. She wasn’t about to wake him now but she needed to get him to somewhere else. Once she had finished cleaning all the soap out of his hair, she drained the tub and dried him down gently. “Cisco, I need to get you to bed. You can’t sleep here.” She whispered and together they pulled Cisco up and out of the bath.

Caitlin walked him slowly to his bedroom where he fell asleep as soon as he landed back onto the pillows. Smiling, Caitlin dressed him in his favourite soft pyjamas and tucked him into bed, lying down next to him under the covers. Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialled a number and placed it up to her ear. “Hey Barry, it’s me. I’m at Cisco’s. His place is a mess and I was just wondering if the next time you had time, could you come over and help me clean it up? Alright thanks, I owe you one.”

Flashes of lightning pierced the darkness of the room from underneath the door and there was the sound of things moving rapidly and a faraway door being quietly closed. In the dark, Caitlin smiled as she knew that when Cisco woke, he would be surrounded by people who loved him.

Cisco found himself glad that he had a friend as generous and caring as Caitlin Snow.


End file.
